


significant annoyance

by nanagganan



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha Byun Baekhyun, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Byun Baekhyun is annoying but what's new lol, Couple Items, Doh Kyungsoo is an ambassador of self-love, Fluff, M/M, Omega Do Kyungsoo | D.O, side!chanchen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26578723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanagganan/pseuds/nanagganan
Summary: He isn't one to be consumed by baseless rumors, really, most campus gossip he’s heard goes in one ear and out the other. Even when Chanyeol insists that it is crucial to 'keep up with the trends', Kyungsoo can't seem to find enjoyment in discussing other people's lives without definite proof.But you know what they say: there's a grain of truth in every rumor.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Do Kyungsoo | D.O
Comments: 27
Kudos: 179
Collections: EXZOO : Fourth Round





	significant annoyance

**Author's Note:**

> ーwritten for EXZOO Round 4, prompt #P022
> 
> initially i wanted to write about kyungsoo not giving into gossip, have baekhyun pester him like the 'significant annoyance' he is, have shit happen, they fall in love, then make love. but i ended up coming up with whatever this is hahahah. i don't think this is what the prompter had in mind but i thought it'd be fun to write this. i hope you managed to pick up the clues i've left you hehe~
> 
> to the mods, i want to say a huuuuge thank you for granting me an extension. i'm sorry i couldn't finish this on time due to irl conditions but i feel like i have done my best for the au. i want to congratulate all the mods for another successful round! ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆ it's not every day you see a fic fest reach their fourth round after all! you're all so amazing!! thank you so much for your hard work and for the love and tears you poured into this amazing fest. congrats to all the authors for completing their fics as well.
> 
> and to my lovely beta, Y, my soulmate whom i love and cherish so much. thank you for bearing with my awkward writing style and slapping some sense into me so i could write better. i love you and i would give away my future adopted dogs for you〜 (*´∇｀*)
> 
> hope you'll enjoy! ^^

In hindsight, everything had been going smoothly. It may be Friday, but Kyungsoo has managed to wake up at 6 AM on the dot, make breakfast, and pack lunch for himself. He arrived in class on time and even managed to submit his assignment 6 hours early. All that’s left for him to work on is his part for Professor Chae’s group project; then he should be able to go back early tonight. 

_Yes, perfect._ He’d spend the rest of the day lounging around in his most comfortable T-shirt and boxer shorts, snacks in hand, and binging the last four episodes of The Umbrella Academy. Yet here he is, sitting in the middle of the faculty courtyard, staring at LibArts Weekly's infamous gossip column. Wasting daylight on unimportant matters.

All because of obnoxious gossip. 

He isn’t one to be consumed by baseless rumors, reallyーmost campus gossip he’s heard goes in one ear and out the other. Even when Chanyeol insists that it’s crucial to keep up with the trends, Kyungsoo just can't find enjoyment in discussing other people's lives without definite proof. He thinks it would always, _always_ end up as nothing but a major waste of everyone's time. Why gossip, when you could eat or catch up on some sleep or binge on your favorite series? Life would be much simpler if everyone just minded their own damn business. 

But when Kyungsoo walks out of the administration office to turn in his assignment early this afternoon, he can’t help but shiver at the large amount of eyes boring holes onto the back of his head.

It isn’t because he’s unfamiliar with weirded-out stares directed at him (he was known for being a vocal omega, up for lengthy debates and for being asocial when it comes to group projects). It’s the unusually high amount of stares and gossip-y whispers he's been receiving for the last two daysーmostly from people who aren’t from the History department. 

And those stares often start from somewhere around his shoes, flitting upwards to his face, before going back down to his shoes again, as if judging his fashion sense. The stares felt invasive and odd, because Kyungsoo has never worn anything eye-catching since freshman year. It was always a mix of black, white, grey, navy blue and maybe sometimes a touch of green and lighter blue but never would he catch himself wearing bright red or neon yellow. He’s not one to prefer style over comfort, after all. 

He manages to find out the reason behind the stares when, over lunch, Chanyeol mentions something about his face being plastered on the faculty’s gossip column.

"You don't believe me?" A piece of lettuce flies from Chanyeol's mouth as he gasps. Kyungsoo tries his best to ignore how disgusting it looked. He snatches the magazine away from Chanyeol's hands before the tall omega could explain and potentially stain his face with more flying lettuce pieces.

The magazine was headlined: **'Byun Baekhyun, Resident Heartthrob of Comms 2016: Finally Taken At Last?'** in large letters underneath the magazine's title. He flips through the pages until he finds page 20 before peering down at the article. Underneath the title lay a few 'proofs' in the form of secretly-taken pictures of Kyungsoo and a sleazy-looking guy in oversized shirts called Baekhyun. The pictures were placed side by side, and Kyungsoo is seen wearing similar sets of clothes with Baekhyun. Most of them were T-shirts, jackets, sweaters, flannel shirts, and the occasional shoes on some days. There were dates written next to the pictures, presumably indicating the day either Kyungsoo or Baekhyun was seen wearing these sets of similar clothing, usually spotted on the same day. 

A paragraph was written somewhere near the middle, saying:

_Byun Baekhyun (α, 22) might have captured all our hearts with his impeccable charisma. But is he truly as single as he'd always claimed to be? Our insiders have found someone who_ **_interestingly_ ** _might have sparked love within our primadonna's heart~ There have been multiple instances where they've oh-so-shamelessly come to campus in, yep, you guessed it! Couple outfits! Don't believe us? See for yourself and let your eyes judge the truth ;)_

“It's actually ridiculous,” Chanyeol says, clicking his tongue. Kyungsoo looks at the tall omega and blinks, eyes wide in surprise. For someone who basically gossips as a side entertainment, Chanyeol’s immediate denial is astonishing. But then again, Chanyeol has always been someone who'll defend his friendsー smooth talking bouncers to let them in clubs, pretending to be Kyungsoo’s boyfriend to shoo creepy guys out, and even blocked a whole fucking road for a surprise party, so maybe it's not so surprising either. "I mean, they've basically just put together random pictures, called it 'evidence', and put it on the gossip column without confirming with the sources. They could've asked you or this Baekhyun guy first. This is fucking absurd!"

Kyungsoo flits his eyes back to the page and purses his lips, muttering, "That's why it's called gossip, Chanyeol-ah."

And in that instant, Kyungsoo decides that he definitely has no time to deal with trivial gossip. He throws the magazine back to Chanyeol and stands up to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Chanyeol indignantly yells, sounding as if Kyungsoo just took a puppy away from his arms. Kyungsoo doesn't even need to turn around to see if his best friend is following him because in mere seconds Kyungsoo hears the giant’s booming voice growing closer, still bombarding him with a million questions a minute. It’s Chanyeol’s way of locking him into placeー to make sure Kyungsoo won’t be able to slip away from his grasp again.

"To the library. I want to finish The Umbrella Academy by this weekend, so I need to finish my assignments pronto," Kyungsoo says, looking over his watch to see that it's past 1 PM already. The library will close in less than 5 hours and all he can think about is the warm and fluffy blankets waiting for him back home, begging for him to snuggle and worm his way inside. He can almost see it, him and his iPad, cocooning himself in a blanket, warm tea on the desk with all the time in the world to enjoy his series marathon. The quicker he is to finish his assignment, the quicker he’ll find out if the gang managed to find Vanya on episode seven. 

Chanyeol pulls Kyungsoo by the wrist and stops him on his tracks. Kyungsoo would've yelled at him on the spot if not for the weary eyes and furrowed brow he's sporting. Chanyeol says, "Don't you want toー I don't know, straighten things up with the media club?" 

"Nah," Kyungsoo shrugs, "it'll probably die down in a week or two." Gossips, rumors, reputationsー they’re all fleeting things. Yes, they can affect you in some way or another. But if you ignore them enough and continue to prove yourself to be better than what the whispers say, you win in life. And Kyungsoo firmly believes that smart working and smart networking can do _much more_ than letting yourself get dragged by rumors. He’s sure that once these strangers _see_ the real Kyungsoo, they’ll shut their mouths without a second thought. 

Chanyeol laughs then, amusedly clicking his tongue. He says, "Even after seeing that, all you want to do is get shit done? Aish, have a lil fun, why don't you?"

Kyungsoo shrugs at the comment. Taking advantage of Chanyeol's hand on his wrist to pull the other omega with him, he steps resolutely. He says, “You know I don't care about meaningless things. Let's go. The library will close soon if you keep agonizing over what people say about what I wear in my sleep. I have a series to finish!”

  
  


╮(︶︿︶)╭

  
  


Except the gossip doesn't die down after three weeks. If anything, it was fueled even further after that.

A week after he discovered the supposed 'dating scandal', Kyungsoo had numerous anonymous gifts delivered to him. The gift-giving was harmless at firstー so harmless that Kyungsoo thought he was being pranked by either Chanyeol, Jongdae or both of them in kahoots (he wouldn’t put it past them, really). Sometimes they were left lying by the doorstep of Kyungsoo’s dorm room, sometimes a delivery man would knock on his door to deliver the package, and sometimes one of the kids from his class would walk up to his seat and promptly drop them off without a word. Though there was one time when he showed up late to class, the professor had looked at him disapprovingly before appointing him to a vacant seat on the first row where a large bouquet of lilies resideー as if they were waiting for him to walk over and embarrass himself in front of the whole class. The walk of shame Kyungsoo had that day was worse than the time he had his clothes soiled with paint because an art major had accidentally tripped on their way to their mural site. It’s safe to say that Kyungsoo started to develop some sort of grudge towards whoever it is that’s sending these gifts because of that.

The gifts themselves were mostly harmless though; ranging from packed lunches to a set of novels to documentary DVDs to flower bouquets and boxes of chocolate. Every gift would come with a card that had cheesy pick-up lines written inside and a corgi sticker pasted on the bottom. There was no return address or any form of identity written on the card, so Kyungsoo had no idea how he could return those gifts. He has no other choice but to accept them, the gifts are surprisingly thoughtful for something so random. Kyungsoo can never say no to useful thingsー at least he has some new novels to read now. (And maybe because Kyungsoo thinks they’re annoyingly cute, especially the corgi stickers... but don’t tell anyone he said that.)

"Just accept that you have a secret admirer, Kyungsoo-yah," Chanyeol says, mouth full of the milk chocolates that Kyungsoo unwarrantedly got during Contemporary Western History class today. It just so happens that said class was the only one with assigned seats, so it was no surprise that the chocolates had been miraculously placed on top of Kyungsoo's desk by the time he got there. The red square box was wrapped up with a large yellow bow on top, too eye-catching, successfully turning the eyes of whoever passed by. The usual message card was placed neatly on top of the assorted chocolates and said, _'I cannot think of anything sweeter than chocolate than… well, you!❤_ ’ _'_

Needless to say, Kyungsoo really, _really_ wanted to groan and rip the card to tiny shreds in front of the whole class. But he didn't do that. He is not some cold-blooded monster who would do something so unsightly. No, that would be inelegant and out-of-character of him to do so. He’s managed to live 21 years criminal record-free, after all.

Plus, Kyungsoo kind of felt sorry for the tiny corgi lolling its tongue out on the bottom of the card. Maybe. He doesn’t want to ruin a perfectly round and adorable white and orange blob who has done nothing wrong in his life. He will never let any corgis, or any cute animal stickers for that matter, to be harmed in his life. Kyungsoo does not and will never support any form of animal cruelty in his life, sticker-ripping included.

Even so, his mood has dampened greatly because of the oh-so devastatingly cringy message. Thus he unceremoniously shoves the box to Chanyeol as soon as they get dismissed from class. And being the glutton that he is, Chanyeol had oh-so gladly devoured them all in a heartbeat. Kyungsoo cringed when his best friend practically inhaled every piece as if he barely had anything to eat during the day. Being the practical friend he is, he offered little to no comfort when the tall omega whined about gaining weight from eating so many chocolates. Kyungsoo practically ignores his friend's endless and fruitless grievances and delves instead into his own discomfort from the abundance of gifts he received throughout the week.

Chanyeol, being blunt at the most inopportune times, namedrops the supposed culprit behind Kyungsoo's current dilemma. "At this point, I’m pretty sure it's Byun Baekhyun trying to woo you into dating him," Chanyeol barks a laugh at that, seemingly proud of his own ridiculous deduction. Kyungsoo groans, face-planting on to the canteen table. Not this nonsense again. Why is everyone pairing him up with this Baekhyun dude, anyway? First of all, he barely knows the guy existed before the gossip column. Second, the guy dresses like he owns a closet full of baggy pants and uses them 24/7. And third, Kyungsoo knows, statistically, there is a 82.3% chance of popular people being actual assholes than the sin-free angels everyone keeps raving about. Kyungsoo has seen it allー had his fair share of dealing with said assholes during high school, and he prefers to stay away from their kind as much as possible. 

"It's definitely some form of mating ritual," comes Jongdae's voice, adding more fuel to the burning fire of Chanyeol's loud laughter. Jongdae laughs along as he gingerly steals a piece of chocolate from the box, securing an arm behind Chanyeol's seat to prevent him from toppling over. Great. Now that the meddling lovebirds have joined forces, Kyungsoo's never going to hear the end of it. Jongdae adds, "Chocolates, flowers, _and_ lunch? That guy's smitten for ya, pretty boy."

"Smitten schmitten, all I know is, he's a pain in the fucking ass," Kyungsoo mumbles absentmindedly, pulling the hood of his jacket over his head as he slumps forward on the table.

Chanyeol, his eyes glinting with mischief, says, "I bet it's a _good_ kind of pain if he managed to make you smiー" Kyungsoo screams, jumping up from his seat to stuff Chanyeol's mouth with burger wrappers and tissues in an effort to shut him up. It results in barks of laughter from Jongdae, pleas of help from Chanyeol, and indignant yelling on Kyungsoo's end. Their loud squabbling manages to turn several heads, and Kyungsoo only stops entertaining his friends because the giggles and mocking whispers are echoing louder than before, ringing violently in his ears.

He silently pleads to whatever powerful deity out there for the gifts to stop coming. He prays he could melt into the crowd and walk by the faculty hallways wearing his nondescript, all black getup without catching anyone’s attention again anytime soon.

  
  


(」°ロ°)」

  
  


Another week and the gossip still hasn't diedー burning wildly like a tiny ember lit inside a tropical rain forest, spreading like wildfire. Kyungsoo feels like he’s the lone firefighter trying to douse a wholeass burning forest by himself, aka it’s impossible. Even if Kyungsoo were some overpowered beta tester who got a taste of maximizing all experience points beforehand, he knows it’s still a losing battle.

There were more pictures of them in the so-called 'couple’s clothing'. The article has no words whatsoever to describe that it was an update, only dates with pictures of both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo wearing said clothes on campus grounds. It’s as if _everyone_ would automatically assume that it was about ‘the Baekhyun scandal’ (dubbed by everyone in the faculty). 

One of the pictures of himself, Kyungsoo realizes, was taken somewhere around the courtyard when he was eating by himself while reviewing for a quizー an admirable feat of multitasking so he can save last semester’s grades. He vaguely remembers seeing someone scurrying away when he glared at their camera lens. He also remembers thinking that that would have been enough a warning to shoo the dumb paparazzi away but, of course, they wouldn’t give up after one measly glare. Kyungsoo hasn’t caught any more sneaky camera lenses since then, but he’s pretty sure they’ve followed him around a lot, having amassed so many variations of his daily outfits. Kyungsoo feels the shivers creeping under his skin, the thought of being unaware of the people following you and collecting dirt on you leaves a vile taste in his mouth. These people have taken pictures of Kyungsoo in secret, in his most vulnerable state without his consent. Rumors are one thing, but unsolicited pictures are another and Kyungsoo thinks he might have to personally barge into the media club’s office and file a complaint.

Still, he can’t help but think of how funny the whole situation isー that the gossip blew things out of proportion big time. The media club’s only job was to 1) sneak around, 2) take a bunch of pictures of him and Baekhyun, 3) dubbed them ‘couple’s clothing’, 4) use it as definite ‘proof’ of them dating, and 5) called it a day. 

The fiasco makes the whole concept of ‘couple’s clothing’ seem stupidー Kyungsoo realizes belatedly, days after finishing documentaries about the Goryeo Dynasty. Because while it could be cute sometimes, it’s also dumb to use it as a determining point to prove who’s dating who or what. He has seen it being used as evidence to prove some celebrities are dating, of course, but when applied to ordinary people like college students, the whole concept just seems far fetched. There’s literally nothing interesting with college studentsー unless you consider losing sleep to catch up with deadlines interesting of course. College students just wake up, go to class, get a part time job, get drunk, do assignments, sleep (or lack thereof) and repeat. And dating rumors among regular citizens are twice as boring. There are no contracts they’re supposed to abide by or some implicit 10-year rivalry between companies. No secret glances in music shows or Inkigayo sandwiches to slip your numbers into. So why bother with compiling sneaky pictures? Why bother creating rumors in the first place when you can simply come up and ask if they’re dating? Why the need to meddle in other people’s relationships anyway? There’s a reason they haven’t announced it yet. And if you do need proof, go for something more concrete like, like holding hands or catch them making out in shady alleys or whatever. Seriously, these people’s lives would be _much_ easier if they bothered to stop sticking their noses up in other people’s business all the time.

The nosy chatters may have died down, but the judging stares and the not-so-subtle mocking laughter at how bland and monochromatic Kyungsoo’s get-up was compared to Baekhyun’s eye-catching and up-to-date fashion choices have yet to fade away. They keep mentioning how lazy Kyungsoo looks compared to Baekhyun, who puts actual effort into his OOTDs, how Kyungsoo probably dug an old ragged hoodie from the depths of his closet and went to classes uncaring of how wrinkled it looks or how bad he smells. He’s even being mocked as a goth wannabe who doesn’t have the balls to wear piercings and line some kohl on his eyes. None of these accusations were true, bee-tee-dubs, Kyungsoo is just a simple guy who doesn’t fuss over his clothing. A guy who prefers comfort over style, who cares more about the longevity of his apparel than how good they looked on his body. And as the ambassador of self-love as the ultimate form of mental health cure campaign, Kyungsoo just learned to deal with these whispers by not dealing with them at all. He’s slowly getting used to imagining the people walking through the corridors as really tall potatoes, while the condescending whispers were the screams of said potatoes being grated with rusty box graters. 

Chanyeol and Jongdae voiced their concerns about Kyungsoo, knowing how rumors can sometimes badly affect a personー but not Kyungsoo. Nuh-uh, no measle rumor is going to be able to take him down. That’s too easy. Besides, it’s not like anyone has done any physical harm to him. Staring and gossiping are mostly harmless after all. Though maybe not-so harmless to his poor ears. Imagine having to hear such ridiculous nonsense about you every day. Gosh, it’s a miracle his ears are still willing to listen to those godawful words coming out of their mouths. These people might need to use triple the amount of mouthwash Kyungsoo uses in a monthー maybe it’ll help with the brain to mouth filter too, hahah. 

Except, one day, the alpha involved in said ‘scandal’ decided to obnoxiously grace Kyungsoo with his presence. Byun Baekhyun saunters into Kyungsoo’s life like a strong downburst before a rainstormー alerting everyone on ground of a coming disaster, one that’s complete with its roaring thunder, merciless downpour of rain, and the possibility of flooding. Unexpected. Presumptuous. Brash.

It’s late afternoon when Baekhyun plops himself down on the bleachers, right next to Kyungsooー as if he was planning to do so from the get-go. Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, and Jongdae immediately stills mid conversation. Kyungsoo glares at the alpha newcomer, fully knowing that he’s spooking him, while Chanyeol decides to ungracefully shriek in surprise. Even Jongdae, who is usually quick to react and speak up in situations like these, is rendered speechless.

In conclusion: no one expected this to happen. Like, _at all._

“Hi. I’m Baekhyun, the guy who’s been sending Kyungsoo his pretty gifts for the past three weeks,” Baekhyun says, as if he was telling his friends about his new dog or something. The alpha smiles happily, unperturbed by the judging staredown from the three, who look like they’re trying to convince themselves he isn’t some sort of apparition.

Kyungsoo broke out of his trance, and sounding more annoyed than surprised, he said, "What are you doing here?"

Baekhyun leans forward to pluck a piece of french fry from Kyungsoo’s plate, dipping it in some ketchup before letting out an appreciative noise as he chews. "Getting to know my beloved's friends, of course!" He said without any hint of irony. He has the gall to obnoxiously flutter his eyelashes at Kyungsoo. "Why else would I be here, baby?"

Kyungsoo kind of has the urge to strangle this guy. Not now though, while they’re in the middle of the large field The media club would have a field day from such a spectacle. And the people who've been avidly following their column would gladly pay for it.

So Kyungsoo squints his eyes, doubt filling his mind. He croaks, "Get lost, you being here will just feed more unwanted gossip. I've had enough of that, thank you very much."

"But _Kyungsoo_ ," Baekhyun whines, pout in full display. Kyungsoo knows it's a method to snake his way into someone's heart. But his resistance to such a blatant ruse, along with his accumulated rage and embarrassment from the unwanted media attention made the urge to strangle Baekhyun stronger. "I want to spend more time with you and your friends!” Baekhyun continues.

Kyungsoo clicks his tongue in annoyance, dragging his plate away from Baekhyun's reach before the alpha could shamelessly steal another fry. To be honest, Kyungsoo had a hunch that those anonymous gifts came from Baekhyun. If the reluctant, put-upon looks on some of the package couriers’ faces indicated it. Baekhyun, being the way he is, must have persuaded people who grovelled at his feet and fawned over him to personally give his personalized gifts to Kyungsoo. Baekhyun must have made it possible by dangling favors their way, like letting them take the much-coveted selfies with him or swaying them with carefully crafted words of praise that could boost someone’s pride and self-confidence. Heck, maybe he even promised to go on a date with them or accompany them for their heats or rutsー Kyungsoo wouldn’t put it past him, really, it’s totally something that someone popular could do and get away with.

“Have you guys met before?” Chanyeol muses suspiciously, effectively breaking apart their mindless bickering. He looks affronted, face morphing into what Kyungsoo thinks might be betrayal, when he says, “You two seem _awfully_ chummy to have just met.”

Kyungsoo pointedly ignores Baekhyun’s unnecessarily dramatic gasp in favor of answering Chanyeol. Kyungsoo says, “Unfortunately, this guy personally dropped his gift to my apartment last Sunday and proceeded to annoy me for the rest of the day. And before you say anything, Chanyeol, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything. I didn’t think it was worth mentioning because I thought this goofball wouldn’t show up in front of us like this.”

"How could you think it wasn't worth mentioning? I thought we were best friends!" Chanyeol looks like a kicked puppy now, head hung low and lower lip jutting out into a pout. It looks almost comical with the way he easily towers over the rest of them, but Jongdae must find it endearing one way or another because he now has an arm around his mate's torso, hand moving up and down in a soothing manner. Kyungsoo instantly regrets reducing Chanyeol to that state, so he mutters an apology along with a promise to make it up to him. Chanyeol may be an obnoxious giant with bad laughing reflexes, but Chanyeol is one of the few rare people who didn’t mistake Kyungsoo’s effort to see things clearly with ill intent and murder. Kyungsoo doesn’t want to upset genuinely kind-hearted people like Chanyeol. 

"You better," Chanyeol says. He looks much happier at the prospect of having his lunch or dinner paid by Kyungsoo. It's almost obnoxiously adorable, how easy it is to win him over. "Or else you'd be banned from crashing at our place to finish your Persona 5 playthrough."

Kyungsoo lets out a dramatic gasp before lunging out to grab at Chanyeol's dark hair, pulling at it in jest as Chanyeol tries his best to get away.

Jongdae suddenly lets out a loud groan about the fact that he and Chanyeol have yet to introduce themselves. He says to Baekhyun,"I'm Jongdae though I suppose you probably knew that already because Comms doesn't have that many students."

Baekhyun guffaws. He exclaims, “Of course I know you!” and takes Jongdae's outstretched hand in stride. Jongdae gestures to Chanyeol, introducing him as his mate. 

"Oh wow, I knew you were mated but I didn't know you both go to the same uni," Baekhyun says as he shakes Chanyeol's hand next, openly marvelling at the omega's impressive height. Chanyeol smiles proudly at that, as if his professors just gave him three stars for being able to reach the top shelves in the library. 

"It's a long story," Chanyeol says, slurping the last bits of his iced tea. "Basically, our parents wouldn't let us be any less than joined at the hip at all times, even though we've been mated for god knows how long." 

Somehow, Baekhyun manages to coax Chanyeol into telling him the whole story of his and Jongdae’s courtshipー how they ended up going to the same university after months of looking for the only university that hosts both decently accredited History and Communication Departments in one place. Kyungsoo is slightly glad and relieved for the distraction that Baekhyun adeptly induced. If this goes on, Kyungsoo might be able to finish his lunch quickly, pack his things up, and leave for class. Maybe he could even slip away without any of them noticing. He really wants to be away from Baekhyun’s irritating vicinity as fast as possible.

“Enough about us, look at you two!” Jongdae suddenly says, successfully foiling Kyungsoo’s escape plan. Kyungsoo finds himself scowling as he dips the last fry onto the remaining bits of his ketchup. Jongdae continues, “I can't believe you two are literally twinning. No wonder everyone thinks you're dating.”

Utterly exasperated from that bullshit, Kyungsoo looks down at his outfit. He had a forest green sweater on, dark blue jeans cuffed at the ends and his usual black vans sneakers. Nothing unusual, really. The combination of sweater and jeans are usually his go-to comfort wear for classes after all. Then he looks up to look at the outfit Baekhyun is wearing, only to see the alpha sporting a similarly designed, similarly colored sweater on his torso. The way Baekhyun proudly wore that get-up seems like an affront to Kyungsoo’s integrity.

Kyungsoo doesn’t think Baekhyun could grin any wider than he did a few minutes ago, but there it is, the corners of his lips pulled taut at the ends. Kyungsoo exhales loudly, “Yeah, well, the rumors are dumb. People shouldn’t be so damn gullible."

“I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of having fun with this,” Baekhyun says, the offensive grin still plastered on his lips. Great, Kyungsoo groans internally, no wonder Baekhyun’s been pouring oil all over the fire. He thinks of it as entertainment. He _relishes_ in getting Kyungsoo this worked up. Baekhyun must be a clueless fool because he thinks of Kyungsoo’s scowl as cue to wrap an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. Kyungsoo tries to squirm away, but Baekhyun’s hold is firm. Kyungsoo tries his best to hide the groan manifesting itself from deep inside his guts. 

“Come on, Kyungsoo-yah," the alpha whines, pulling their bodies closer in the process. Kyungsok suddenly feels a certain heat creeping up on the base of his neck. Was he feeling, god forbid, flustered from getting into contact with Baekhyun? Baekhyun went on, "The whole faculty, having their eyes locked on to us? Going crazy from making up theories about our relationship? This is gold."

"You must be some sort of lunatic to even think this is amusing," Kyungsoo deadpans, not buying into Baekhyun's bullshit. Baekhyun doesn't lean back, nor does he let Kyungsoo's shoulders go after his snide remark. It's becoming frustrating and Kyungsoo desperately wants to leave the bleachers here and now, unable to bear the heat strangely rising in him. 

"It is amusing, though," Baekhyun utters with a smirk. "Plus, that feature on us is a godsend. I don't have randos coming up to ask for my number anymore. It's a win-win situation."

Tch, of course it was to his benefit.

“I wouldn’t consider it a win-win if the other party is losing,” Kyungsoo says immediately, seething.

But Baekhyun doesn’t seem to get it because he pulls Kyungsoo closer instead and coos at him. He seems hellbent to do everything that’s displeasing to Kyungsoo, or something. “Aww, I’ll gladly protect you, Kyungsoo-yah. I’ll stay by your side to keep all those randos away,” Baekhyun says with a playful lilt to his voice, as if the one being gossiped about was a stranger instead of himself. 

Kyungsoo shrugs the arm around him away, pushing Baekhyun enough to keep a respectful distance between them. He stands up and promptly gathers his things. “No, thank you. The more I am away from you, the safer I will be. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have class at 4.”

Kyungsoo whips out his phone to type out a message as he turns around to leave. He faintly hears Chanyeol whining, telling him to wait. Then the giant catches up and walks next to him.

Kyungsoo doesn’t look back to check if Baekhyun has heard him or not.

  
  


|･д･ )ﾉ ⊂(´• ω •`⊂)

  
  


Another week, and everyone is starting to believe that the gossip is real, like they’re a bunch of cult followers and not people capable of rational thought. These days, not only does Kyungsoo have inquisitive stares and derisive laughs directed at him, but random people have told him to back off from coming near Baekhyun. Some had even threatened him, telling him that they would ruin his homework, or some other ridiculous highschool-esque threats, only to scurry away once Kyungsoo unleashes his infamous glare on them.

That, or they’d stop talking immediately as soon as Kyungsoo lashes out on them and tells them to back off. He's dealt with that pretty well, if he could say so himself.

Yet one problem persists.

Baekhyun. 

Kyungsoo suppresses an audible groan at the mere thought of that name.

Baekhyun really won't leave Kyungsoo alone, even after their initial squabble at the bleachers. If anything, Kyungsoo sees him almost every day, before and after every class he's attended. At lunch, at the library, at the faculty courtyard, sometimes even with Jongdae in tow. It's as if Baekhyun himself has nothing better to do, no class to attend whatsoever. Like a really persistent and annoying ghost. Every single time Baekhyun comes up to him, Baekhyun has the brightest smile on his lips, like an incredibly smug sunshine incarnate. Even while Kyungsoo tries his best to keep the alpha at a distance and keep him from invading his precious personal space as possible. It’s a wonder how Kyungsoo hasn’t outright scolded the guy yet. Maybe he should. Sooner or later.

Kyungsoo’s 8 AM class had unexpectedly ended in 30 minutes today and he felt ecstatic from it. Class ending early would only mean he had extra free time, which also means he has around 45 minutes to himself before either Baekhyun or Chanyeol would find him hiding away on campus grounds. Forty-five fucking minutes where he could do whatever the fuck he wants, free from the presence of those two loud, overbearing men. Kyungsoo could get some coffee, spend spare change on snacks, watch random video essays, or even nap under a tree. It’s great. This day is off to a great start.

Except as soon as he steps out of Professor Chae’s class, he’s faced with a very eager looking Baekhyun waiting in the hallway. The alpha runs up to Kyungsoo like an overeager puppy, crowding into Kyungsoo's space before he could even escape. The arm that drapes itself around Kyungsoo’s body pulls and presses their bodies together. Kyungsoo feels like he could puke from smelling so much of Baekhyun’s heavy musk, so early in the morning. 

"Good morning, sweet cheeks. Happy to see that your class ended earlier than usual." The lilt in Baekhyun's voice tells him that he means it, and the sheer cheeriness Baekhyun emanated makes Kyungsoo dizzy. It's too early for this. Like a magician, the alpha pulls out a small paper bag out of nowhere, dropping it in Kyungsoo's hands. Kyungsoo stares at the paper bag with a puzzled look. Kyungsoo doesn’t even want to know what's hiding in it. Baekhyun was literally full of surprisesー in the most unsolicited way possible, and Kyungsoo doesn’t want a repeat of yesterday’s surprise spicy chocolate fudge Baekhyun bought to get a rile out of Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun pulls Kyungsoo by the hand then, humming happily under his breath. Kyungsoo lets out a noise of protest and demands some sort of explanation for the alpha’s sudden spontaneity. Baekhyun answers with a voice as chipper as his earlier greeting, “It’s breakfast!” He pulls out another paper bag filled to the brim out of thin air. “Let’s eat together in the courtyard, I’m starving.” 

Just as Kyungsoo is about to fire his complaint, his stomach growls. Loudly. So loud that it makes his face flush from embarrassment. It even made a few heads turn. Kyungsoo wants to dig a hole and bury himself there, even more so now that Baekhyun’s giggling with a look that Kyungsoo could only describe as a mix of amusement and fondness. Baekhyun continued, “See? Now you won’t have to line up at the canteen for food.” 

Kyungsoo doesn’t have it in him to deny that free food is still free food. But he doesn’t want to give Baekhyun the satisfaction just yet. Kyungsoo said, voice morose, “Alright. You win this time.” He yanks his hand away from Baekhyun’s grasp, making haste to walk faster than Baekhyun. Though Kyungsoo knows that he can’t run far from that tenacious puppy.

Baekhyun laughs with that annoyingly bright tone of his and manages to catch up with Kyungsoo’s steps. It’s one of the few moments where Kyungsoo finds himself wishing he had longer legs. Baekhyun steps forward in front of him, walking backwards while puckering his lips. He pleaded, “Aw, where’s my thank you kiss?” 

“Fuck off,” Kyungsoo replies, pushing Baekhyun’s face away and ignoring him until they reach the courtyard. 

  
  
  
  


Jongdae joins them halfway through breakfast, claiming that he has a 10AM class with Baekhyun. Jongdae gives Kyungsoo a questioning look once he notices how Baekhyun seems to be intact and free from scratches. Kyungsoo ignores Jongdae in favor of slurping the last of his chocolate milk. 

“So, what’s up with you two?” Jongdae asks, not even bothering to hide the mirth in his voice. Kyungsoo is still ignoring the two men with him, choosing to distractedly observe a flock of birds flying away in the sky. It’s still early anyway so there’s not much life going on campus. 

“Just having a cozy breakfast with my Kyungsoo here,” Baekhyun huffs proudly, breadcrumbs falling off the edge of his lips. Some of the crumbs fall on top of Kyungsoo’s navy trousers and Kyungsoo quickly brushes them away without a fuss. Baekhyun is such a damn slob that it’s even amazing he managed to survive living three years of his life without adult supervision.

It manages to earn an amused hum from Jongdae’s lips. “Must be _real_ cozy since you’re still in one piece and Kyungsoo’s here not nagging your ear off with his complaints,” he said. Baekhyun answers with a delighted hum of his own as Kyungsoo continues to stare off into the distance. The two friends continue to discuss their next class as Kyungsoo finishes off the last of his banh mi. It irks Kyungsoo that Baekhyun managed to buy him something so delicious he might have to ask him where he got it so he can treat himself to another one day. Maybe he could ask Jongdae to ask for him orー

“Oh, that’s new!” Jongdae exclaims in a particularly loud voice, startling Kyungsoo out of his own thoughts. He turns to see Jongdae grabbing at Baekhyun’s wrist, marvelling at the jewelry. The bracelet is of a minimalist design: a thick black thread tied around a large silver anchor with the brand name embellished upfront. 

Baekhyun laughs sheepishly, “Yeah, pretty isn’t it?”

Jongdae nods and continues to trace his fingers around the bracelet. His eyebrows scrunched slightly after a few seconds, “I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen this before though… I wonder where…”

Kyungsoo throws the wrapper into the now empty paper bag and moves to dispose of it in the bin. That’s when Jongdae lets out another noise of surprise, pointing an accusing finger at Kyungsoo. “That’s right! Kyungsoo has one too!” 

“He... does?”

Jongdae nods, “Yeah! I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him wear it to campus once. Isn’t that right, Soo?” 

Kyungsoo is taken off guard by the question, not expecting to be included in this conversation. “I don’t think so. You know I don’t like wearing accessories much, Jongdae-yah.” 

The confusion is back on Jongdae’s face now, his lips pressed into a pout. “No, I’m pretty sure you have it. I know I’ve seen it, pretty sure Chanyeol’s seen it, too.” 

“You must be imagining things then,” Kyungsoo replies, looking over his watch for the time. He picks up his knapsack from the ground and walks up to Baekhyun, lips pressed into a thin line. Kyungsoo says in the smallest voice possible: “Well, uh, thanks for the food, Byun. I have class.”

Baekhyun looks up at Kyungsoo, the silly grin back on his lips. Baekhyun puts a hand on top of Kyungsoo’s hair and ruffles it slightly. Kyungsoo doesn’t shy away from the touch. “You’re welcome, cutie,” Baekhyun says.“Good luck with class.” 

As Kyungsoo walks south from the courtyard, he tries to ignore the way his head is practically burning from the touch. The gesture was uncalled forー Baekhyun could’ve waved or done something else that’s less… intimate, not to mention how it managed to ruin his perfectly styled hair. Kyungsoo should’ve swatted Baekhyun’s hand away before he could’ve ruffled his hair. Kyungsoo would still know Baekhyun thinks he’s cute _and_ walked off with neat unruffled hair. Yet Kyungsoo can’t help but feel a storm brewing inside his heart, touched by the warm gesture from the hearty breakfast and warm touch from the alpha. He’s sure his morning could’ve gone way worse than this.

  
  
  


ヽ( `Д´)ﾉ_θ彡☆Σ(ノ ･∀･)ノ

  
  


It’s a new day, yet Kyungsoo finds himself face to face with Baekhyun. Again. The sight of Baekhyun turning up unwantedly is getting old, but the feeling it elicits in Kyungsoo feels new each time, in a weird way. Kyungsoo’s long past the need to care about the rumors now. He doesn’t even know whether or not the media club has updated the gossip column. Nor does he know whether or not the whispers and mocking laughter have died down. Any of that seems less important than trying to steer Baekhyun’s attention away from making ‘annoy Kyungsoo’ as his personal daily goal. Which is considerably 10% more headache-inducing than the faculty burning with dating gossip.

Baekhyun is currently plopping himself down on the empty seat in front of him, completely uninvited, striding in as if he was planning to sit at this table all along despite there being numerous vacant seats in the canteen. This is the 10th time he has done that this week (not that Kyungsoo's counting). All while wearing the sleaziest grin on his face. Definitely not up to something good, Kyungsoo thought.

"Get off my case, Byun. You're causing nothing but trouble here," Kyungsoo says without looking up from his phone, chewing on the leftovers he brought over for lunch.

"You wound me, darling,” Baekhyun whines in mock hurt, holding a hand to his chest. “Must you be so cruel to this handsome piece of ass?" 

“Whatever it is you’re up to, the answer is no.” Kyungsoo replies without missing a beat, opening his binder to a random page so he doesn’t have to look at that aggravating face. He ignores the sound of his heart going a mile a minute and pretends to check on last week’s notes for his next class. 

Baekhyun slumps forward, worming himself underneath Kyungsoo’s arm in an attempt to garner the omega’s attention. Kyungsoo immediately picks up his lunchbox before pivoting his body to the right, avoiding Baekhyun's outstretched arms immediately. The action manages to earn another series of whining from the alphaー giving Kyungsoo all the more reason to ignore him. 

Before Baekhyun could try and steal Kyungsoo's lunchbox, Chanyeol walks up to their table with Jongdae in tow, carrying plates of warm food on his hand. Kyungsoo assumes it's the mated couple's lunch. Chanyeol almost sounds way too amused when he says, "Oh! Nice to see you again, Baekhyun-ah."

Baekhyun pipes up at the pair and waves his hands around like a madman, excitedly welcoming the pair. Kyungsoo really wants to pack his bags and leave so he can disassociate himself from this annoyingly cute weirdo. Far away from those cute twinkly eyes full of mischief and the very distractingly soft lips upturned into a natural pout. Those lips are so distracting that Kyungsoo can’t help but think of how much he wants to kissー no, slap them. Yes, slap them away as far as possible. 

Jongdae gasps as if he just saw something scandalous. "Kyungsoo-yah, why aren't you feeding your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Kyungsoo squawks, while Baekhyun yells in agreement: "Yeah, Kyungsoo-yah, feed me!!"

Chanyeol topples over in laughter, high-fiving his mate. Then Jongdae says, "Look at the poor guy, he's all skin and bones. How is he going to have the stamina to fuck you senseless now? You're suffocating him!"

"Fuck off, Jongdae. He's not fucking anyone!" Kyungsoo denied, yet he can't help but feel the flush creeping up his neck and ears. Weird. Why is he now getting all red from Jongdae’s stupid words? 

Kyungsoo’s indignant yelling and obvious flushing might have spurred on what Baekhyun says next: "We could be fucking right now if you aren’t such a meanie all the time." 

Kyungsoo gives Baekhyun the finger and angrily stabs the straw onto his own milk carton. Baekhyun steals it before Kyungsoo could take a sip. And if it weren't for Jongdae's firm hands holding him back, Kyungsoo would have murdered the alpha on the spot for doing that.

"Speaking of which, it's almost your heat cycle again, right?" Chanyeol asks. Of course, leave it to Chanyeol to bring up topics like heats in front of someone who's normally not within their usual circle. Talking about heats in front of a beta (Jongdae) is one thing, but _alphas_? If dying from embarrassment was physically possible, Kyungsoo would kill to be able to succumb to death right here, right now. 

Kyungsoo doesn't dodge the question, though, knowing that his friend is just looking out for him. But he knows he will have a word with Chanyeol about this. In private. Preferably in a scenario where Kyungsoo gets to physically maul the taller omega. "What about it?" asks Kyungsoo.

"Well, you've always complained about your intense heats, and..." Chanyeol trails off, chewing through a mouthful of fried rice before swallowing. "When I had my heat the other day, Jongdae brought up something about you hiring heat-mate services."

Heat-mate services? What the actual fuck.

"Oh, right, I heard it from someone in Journalism." Jongdae chimes in, poking at Chanyeol's sunny side egg before stealing a piece of it. Chanyeol doesn't even bat an eyeー it earns an amused 'ooh' from Baekhyun who's not as used to seeing it as Kyungsoo is. Kyungsoo sometimes wonders if all mated couples have telepathic abilities reserved for their mate. Jongdae went on, "There are professional services for those now. They're mostly omegas and betas, 100% certified and clean. You can even choose the guy or girl you'd like to accompany you till your heat breaks. Everything is accessible on their website so you can check on their personal backgrounds and whether they're clean or not if you're scared." 

Kyungsoo blinks, finding himself silently pondering the new information. His heats are intense, yes. But he's not really looking for another person, especially when they're complete strangers who he can pick out from some random websites. Even if you can legally check out if they'll give him STDs or not, he's just not interested. So he lets them down gently, knowing how much Chanyeol had fretted over him during his heat ten months ago. "I appreciate your concerns, but I might have to pass," Kyungsoo says.

As if on cue, Chanyeol whines, "What? You said your heats are terrible! Spending it with another person might help make it better. I swear you'll even break off your heat in three days tops!"

"No thanks." Kyungsoo's answer is resolute. He leans forward to retrieve his milk carton before Baekhyun could finish it. The alpha pouts at him, but doesn't make a move to try and steal it back. Kyungsoo continues, "I have it under control now. There's no need to worry."

"You sure?" Jongdae asks.

"One-hundred percent. Which reminds me," Kyungsoo began, finishing the last of his milk before gathering up his things and standing up to leave. "I haven't signed up for the heat dorms yet. I better go before the AO closes."

"I'm going too. I have class at 1." Baekhyun says, also standing up. He looks away from his watch and waits for Kyungsoo to finish packing his things away. "You're going to the AO right? I'll walk you there." 

"Go to your class, Byun. Stop wasting daylight to feed gossip." Kyungsoo all but smacks Baekhyun's ass with his binder. Baekhyun yelps, pressing his palms to soothe his ass and loudly complain about the pain but follows Kyungsoo along anyway. Kyungsoo freezes up when he realizes that one does not simply smack another’s assー unless they’re close. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are definitely not close. So why would he do that? Haha. He must be out of his mind. So he says what his panicked mind manages to come up with on the spot: he nags Baekhyun for being his bothersome self. And they find themselves bickering all the way until they're out of the canteen.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Huh," Chanyeol muses as soon as Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were out of sight. "He didn't push him away."

Jongdae finds himself agreeing with that observation, noting the white and denim look the two were sporting today, "They're still wearing color coordinated outfits, too, I bet they don't even realize it. I wonder what sort of magic’s at work." He beckons Chanyeol to lean closer so he could say, "I'll bet you 20,000 won Kyungsoo actually has a crush on him." 

Chanyeol snorts, clearly entertained by the idea. He crosses his arms in front of his chest as he looks back at Jongdae. "Just a crush? Come on, honey, I know you can do better than that. 30,000 won: they're actually fucking."

"You sure about that?" Chanyeol nods enthusiastically, a challenging look on his face. It's been a while since they betted on something. He misses the thrill. "You have yourself a deal, handsome."

They shake on it.

  
  


(づ◡﹏◡)づ ⊂(´• ω •`⊂)

  
  


“You’re late,” Kyungsoo grumbles, frowning in disappointment. He doesn’t move away from the bed, but scoots over to make room for the alpha. It’s in the middle of summer and Kyungsoo has turned the aircon on high, fully knowing that it makes the room almost as chilly as how it usually is mid-autumn. He has two comforters wrapped around his body and stacks of soft pillows surrounding him. He's managed to make a cozy nest and doesn't want to leave the vicinity of the bed, not even to greet the alpha who will help him get through his heat. No one can blame him for that, nesting was a natural state of being during pre-heat and Kyungsoo guesses his full heat will start tomorrow morning.

The alpha, Baekhyun, closes the door with a sheepish look. It's the second time Baekhyun has accompanied Kyungsoo during his heat after they started dating six months ago. Kyungsoo has to admit that Chanyeol was right: having a partner really does help alleviate the pain. And Baekhyun's presence has done wonders during his last cycle.

Baekhyun leans down to give Kyungsoo an apologetic peck on the cheek as he crawls under the comforter. "Sorry," he brings his hands up to rub at Kyungsoo's sides in a soothing motion. The omega instantly relaxes under the touch. "Professor Dong gave us group assignments last minute. Had to stay behind to discuss the framework since I'll be down here to accompany you for a while."

Kyungsoo harrumphs in mock annoyance, not really that bothered. but not feeling like he should forgive the alpha too quickly. either. He pinches Baekhyun's arm lightly, earning a loud yelp in return. "I'm surprised they even let you in,” Kyungsoo says. “Heat partners are supposed to check-in together, dummy."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, babe." The alpha wraps his arms around Kyungsoo, and nuzzles his face in the crook of the omega's neck. Baekhyun went on, "I was about to call you but they let me in as soon as they saw my face and ID. The guards even asked me if I've already ordered takeout for dinner. Relax, they already know I'm here for you. It worked out in the end."

Kyungsoo pulls back, raises an eyebrow and gives him a challenging look.

The alpha sighs, leans his head down on Kyungsoo’s shoulder,and brings his fingers up to rub circles onto the small of Kyungsoo’s back, "I _know_ , I should've told you what happened and not leave you hanging."

Kyungsoo hums noncommittally, waiting. 

"And I should've excused myself early from the group project," Baekhyun groaned dejectedly. 

That’s more like it. Satisfied, Kyungsoo wraps his arms around Baekhyun in return, planting his nose to nuzzle on the alpha's chest. He can feel Baekhyun's pheromones relaxing along with his. He hums at the pleasant feeling. "It's good that you know.”

They stay like that for a while, basking in each other's presence and silently let the seconds tick by. Kyungsoo feels the hands circling around his waist, pulling their bodies closer together. It makes something warm and comforting bloom inside his chest, expanding till it reaches the tips of his fingers and toes. It feels nice, snuggling close like this. While Baekhyun loves every form of physical contact, Kyungsoo was not a big fan. But it's been a while since they've indulged in one another so Kyungsoo lets it slide for now.

"Kyungsoo-yah," the alpha calls, lips resting on the crown of Kyungsoo's head. The omega hums in response. "When are we going to tell them?"

Kyungsoo knows what the other is asking about but feigns innocence nonetheless. "Them?"

"Everyoneーwell, maybe Jongdae and Chanyeol first, but eventually, everyone else?”

Kyungsoo pulls back to look at his boyfriend properly, his rosy bottom lip jutting out into a pout. Baekhyun is an alpha through and through, but when he wants something, he pulls the pout out for good use. And he knows how weak Kyungsoo is for his beloved, how he’d comply with his every whim no matter how ridiculous it may be. Not now though, not when Kyungsoo is having fun riling his boyfriend up. “Weren’t you the one who said it’d be fun to mess around with them?”

That manages to make Baekhyun sulk, pout morphing into a full-on frown. The sight makes Kyungsoo coo, but he loves taunting Baekhyun the most so he tries his best to not let it show. 

“I know and you said it was stupid,” Baekhyun grumbles on, burying his face on the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck. “You were right.”

Kyungsoo hums pleasantly at that. “I know I’m always right.”

“But it’s _soooo_ tiring, Soo-yah.” Baekhyun pulls Kyungsoo closer, snuggling into his body heat. Kyungsoo shivers when Baekhyun inhales his scent deeply. He always feels ticklish when his boyfriend does that. “I’m happy strangers aren’t confessing to me left and right, but I just want to hold your hand in campus, ya know? Be one of those disgusting couples you hate so much.”

The statement makes Kyungsoo’s heart clench wistfully. Baekhyun might have been the one to suggest the whole not-dating scenario but Kyungsoo can’t deny that he, too, has been longing to touch Baekhyun whenever and wherever he wantsー not just date nights. He wants Baekhyun to take him out on lunch dates at the courtyard, spend their breaks napping under the large student union building tree, maybe wait for each other’s class to finish or even sneak into each other's classes.

And as the gossip fiasco starts to die down, Kyungsoo finds himself wanting it all the more. “Maybe we can.”

That makes Baekhyun pull back in surprise, eyes widening and glimmering with barely contained happiness. That's how Kyungsoo knows he said the right thing. “Really? You mean it?”

Kyungsoo tries his best to contain the smile threatening to bloom, but the apples of his cheeks puffing up and flushing with a healthy glow gives it away. Baekhyun absolutely marvels at the sight, whopping a cheery fistpump for himself. Kyungsoo clears his throat. He says, “Still not a yes, Baekhyun-ah." A lie. It was totally a yes. Kyungsoo knows Baekhyun knows. "I quite enjoy watching you squirm and hold back your incessant need to cling onto me in public.” At least that much was true. 

While Baekhyun is preoccupied with whining and trying his best to persuade Kyungsoo to agree, the omega silently climbs on top of his boyfriend, straddling wide hips in between full thighs. He leans down to plant a chaste kiss on Baekhyun's lips, letting his lips hover slightly when he pulls away to say, “We can talk about that later. For now, I need those lips on mine, mister.”

  
  


(´,,•ω•,,) σ(≧ε≦σ) ♡

  
  


Kyungsoo’s heat breaks a few days later, making up a total of four whole days spent inside the heat dorms. Kyungsoo knows he has the day off but he still shows up to campus for a group project meeting anyway, not wanting to miss out on anything school-related. Kyungsoo knows that if he slacks off now, getting back in his rhythm would be hard to do (especially since Baekhyun can be quite persuasive with his ways). 

Kyungsoo thought his heat would last his usual five day cycle, but it's somehow cut a day short. He's been told that it was a given when you spend heats with 'the right person’ー though it didn't happen during the first time he spent it with Baekhyun. Last time, his heat had stopped midway through the fifth day so he thought it would be more or less similar this timeー so he'd jot down five days in the heat dorm request form, not knowing that it'd end earlier.

Though subtle at times, Kyungsoo _did_ notice the changes in his body after engaging in a relationship with Baekhyun. His hormones have been a lot more stable during his heat, usually calming down right away as soon as Baekhyun fills the room with his pheromones. Thus making him less prone to having extreme mood swings and succumbing to irritability. He also doesn’t experience the intense fever nor the throbbing lower back pain normally associated with pre-heat symptoms. 

And the fact that Baekhyun’s company has never been anything but enjoyable makes Kyungsoo’s stomach flutter with a familiar warmth. He’s had partners before but none of them has ever managed to coax his body to relax as quickly as Baekhyun doesー has never managed to satiate him as quickly and fully as Baekhyun does. 

Baekhyun has a knack for making other people comfortable, but he also has this impeccable ability to unwind every knot inside Kyungsoo’s mind and body. Kyungsoo has found himself randomly crashing over Baekhyun’s apartment in the wee hours of the morning multiple times, snuggling into the alpha’s chest and allowing himself to be vulnerable. Sometimes he would even lament about all his woes for Baekhyun to hear, knowing that the alpha would quietly listen to him and offer advice when needed. And Kyungsoo would do the same for Baekhyun, without a doubt. And this feeling of comfort sometimes even drives Kyungsoo into thinking that they might have something more to their relationshipー he might have to talk about this with Baekhyun sooner than later.

Kyungsoo is pulled out of his reverie when they announce the group meeting is over, recounting each individual task they should work on before next week's meeting. They part ways and Kyungsoo opens his phone to see Jongdae inviting him to eat lunch together at his and Chanyeol’s apartment. Kyungsoo mulls over it for a while before texting back to inform Jongdae that he's on his way. He doesn’t really have anything to do other than catch up on the classes he’s missed and ask for Chanyeol's notes so coming over might save him the extra effort. He texts Baekhyunー telling him that they would need to reschedule their lunch date today.

Baekhyun's reply comes five seconds later telling him: _its ok, im having lunch w/ some friends too :3333_

Kyungsoo replies with a quick: _promise i'll make it up to you. have fun :)_ , before making his way to the mated pair's apartment.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Only to find that said 'friends' were actually Kim Jongdae and Park Chanyeol. 

"Babe!" Baekhyun exclaims as soon as he opens the front door. He quickly envelops Kyungsoo in a hug and nuzzles his face on the side of his cheek. Although they talked about going public last night, Kyungsoo can't help but be wary of his surroundings. He's not too keen on the idea of dropping the bomb on his best friends just yet. He keeps his eyes trained on the end of the hallway in case either Chanyeol or Jongdae suddenly walks in on them. 

Realizing that the coast is clear, Kyungsoo pulls back to look at the alpha in his arms, lips pouting as he utters, "Why didn't you tell me these 'friends' were Jongdae and Chanyeol?"

Baekhyun pecks his boyfriend on the cheek before pulling away to let Kyungsoo take his shoes off. "I wanted to surprise you. Did it work?"

“It gave me a biiig heart attack,” Kyungsoo deadpans, heavily emphasizing ‘big’ just so he could pull a laugh out of the other. Baekhyun does laugh, causing his heart to go tha-thump like early this morning before he left the heat dorms (Baekhyun doesn’t know that,why would he?). And he doesn’t move away when Baekhyun tightens his hold again and crowds into his personal space. 

He definitely doesn’t pull away when Baekhyun pecks him on the lips, twice, murmuring, “I've missed you, baby.” 

Kyungsoo scoffs, “We saw each other this morning, stupid.” 

“It wasn’t enough,” Baekhyun whines, obnoxiously puckering his lips as he leans in to pepper kisses all over Kyungsoo’s face. Kyungsoo squirms in his hold, giggling and pretending to push Baekhyun’s face away. Baekhyun went on,"You had the whole day off yet you went out and spent it with your friends instead!”

“My grades are on the line here, mister!" Kyungsoo retorts quickly, pushing Baekhyun’s arms away so he could grab hold of the other’s sensitive neck and make him submit. 

Before Baekhyun could get his revenge Kyungsoo picks up a loud thud, similar to that of an object dropping, from the end of the hall. Followed by quick footsteps and the sound of Chanyeol yelling something that vaguely sounds like, “ _I told you so!_ ”

  
  
  


(｡・//ε//・｡)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**From: Jongin**

_srry abt this, hyung! i owe u 3 lunches at least!! promise i’ll make it up to u >< _

**To: Jongin**

_you better!_

_i was THIS close to revoking your dog-sitting rights_

**From: Jongin**

_hyung how could u? ㅠ ㅇㅠ)_

_u kno meokmullie luvs meeeeee_

_anw hope u enjoy ur date hyung, lemme know if u got lucky ;)))_

Kyungsoo sighs as he slumps down on his seat, not caring if he looks out of place in such a fancy restaurant. Jongin was an underclassman Kyungsoo had tutored back in high school. He initially did it to save up for a limited edition copy of his favorite documentary, but the both of them ended up becoming fast friends. Kyungsoo had discovered that Jongin was quite the chatterbox, confiding in Kyungsoo during every tutoring session. Sometimes he'd talk about school, sometimes about his friends, sometimes even gossip about people Kyungsoo would probably never meet. And Kyungsoo had discovered his soft spot for the younger boy, maybe even more than the space he had reserved for his dogs back home. 

_Maybe a little bit too soft_ , he thought. 

Just three weeks ago, Jongin had told him about one of his sisters setting him up for a blind date with her friend’s younger brother. And it was bad timing, too, because Jongin met Sehun a few days after the offer. They had regularly seen each other afterwards and by their fifth date, Jongin had introduced Sehun as his boyfriend to all his friends, Kyungsoo included.

And that’s how Kyungsoo got into the picture.

Kyungsoo had refused. Of course he did. It was Jongin’s responsibility to turn his blind date down and walk away himself rather than send someone else in his stead. Who knows, he could even befriend the guy and it wouldn't even end up being weird becauseー well, it's Jongin. Kyungsoo has never seen anyone turn Jongin down before. They'll at least develop a soft spot after meeting him, just like he did. He liked to call it the Jongin effectー aka the incessant need to protect and cherish the purity that is Kim Jongin. 

Plan A was all about telling the truth to Jongin’s sisterー maybe introduce Sehun, tell Jongin’s sister to cancel the date and all would be well. But before Jongin could come clean, his sister had ratted on and on about a reservation at some fancy Italian restaurantー a joint effort from her and her friend trying to hook their little brothers up on a nice date. Seeing how excited his sister looked, Jongin ended up not having the heart to turn her down.

Thus, Plan B got titled 'Operation: Turn Down Jongin's Blind Date Without Hurting His Feelings' or whatever. And Kyungsoo ended up being chosen to take Jongin's place to let his mysterious date know that Jongin was unavailable.

That, and because Jongin thinks it would be a great opportunity for Kyungsoo to get laid.

_Puh-lease._

He’s not _that_ desperate.

He only agreed so he could help Jongin call the blind date off. That’s it. Seriously. Not because he’s curious if the attractive younger brother lives up to the pictures Jongin showed him. Nope. It's definitely not because Jongin's blind date happened to be his type and he wants to see if he has a chance. Nuh-uh. Not at all. He’s here to help Jongin get his sister off his back. He’s here to calmly and rationally tell the supposed blind date that Jongin is not interested and that he sent Kyungsoo here toー

"Um, are you Kim Jongin?"

Well fuck.

Pictures really do _not_ do him justice. 

The man standing in front of Kyungsoo is _gorgeous_ and well-dressed. A confident and handsome alpha from head to toe who absolutely owns it. He looks young even with his soft hair styled back into a comma. He has a strong straight jawline, small but rosy lips, and a long beautiful neck that accentuates the dark brown turtleneck he’s sporting. He even has peanut shaped ears that Kyungsoo knows would normally look out of place on other people yet managed to make him look even more endearing. And that shoulder to waist ratioー _fuck,_ Kyungsoo feels like he’s won the lottery of his life.

Kyungsoo doesn’t realize he’s been silently drooling over the stranger until he clears his throat, clearly confused from the lack of response. So he quickly stammers, "N-no! I mean, yes? At least this reservation is. But I'm not him, uh, I'm not Jongin."

Realization dawns upon the stranger’s face as he snaps his fingers, "Ah no wonder you looked different from the pictures Baekbeom sent me.” Kyungsoo thinks he looks more relieved than disappointed but that could be him projecting his personal interests onto the poor guy. He gestures for the other to sit and the waiter saunters over with their menu. Kyungsoo busies himself by flipping through the book when the stranger sheepishly asks, “So are you here to reject me and call this arrangement off orー?"

Kyungsoo winces at the man's wording. He's not wrong but even that sounded harsh in Kyungsoo's ears. Kyungsoo nervously bites on his bottom lip (and swears that the guy is openly staring at the motion). He internally screams at himself to calm down. "Not really, but kind of? Yeah? Jongin met someone after his sister arranged this blind date but he didn't have the heart to let her down."

"So he sent you? I see," the alpha says with an air of finality, bringing a hand up to his chin. Kyungsoo notices the man giving him a once over but it was so fleeting that he wasn't sure it even happened. His resolve falters, maybe he's just imagining things. Maybe he's projecting too much onto the alpha that he _thinks_ he's just as interested in Kyungsoo as the omega was in him.

Just when Kyungsoo mentally thinks of a quick escape plan, the alpha gives him a smirk, eyes glinting with excitement, "Well, can't say I'm disappointed though."

Kyungsoo feels his wolf frolicking in joy at that, blood thrumming ridiculously loud in his ears. So he takes the bait, "Yeah? What makes you say that?"

The alpha's smirk morphs into a saccharine smile, so devastatingly sweet that Kyungsoo has to hold back the urge to kiss him. “I happen to have a soft spot for beautiful men with bright eyes and soft lips.”

Kyungsoo returns the smile, but he doesn't want to back down just yet, "Flattery is praise insincerely given for an interested purpose."

"Well, I happen to be interested... particularly in someone like you," the alpha puts the menu down on the table, his sweet smile blooming into something brighter. Amusement. Kyungsoo knows he's secured the bag. "And I can guarantee it's sincerely given."

"I find that hard to believe."

"We'll see if you still think that way after the third date, then," the alpha sounds confident as he offers his hand out. "I'm Baekhyun." 

Kyungsoo smiles, taking the outstretched hand in stride. "Kyungsoo. What if I haven't changed my mind after the third date?"

Baekhyun laughs and the bright sound manages to make Kyungsoo's insides melt into a puddle. "Then I'll have to take you out on more dates until you do."


End file.
